Automatic signal-operating device for mail boxes



IAlSlS 'May 29, H923.

H. C. FEIST AUTOMA'IIG'SIGNAL OPERATING DEVICE FOR MAIL BOXES Filed Feb.2l 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 :J1/werde@ May 29, H923.

H. C. FEIST AUTOMATIC SIGNAL OPERATING DEVICE FOR MAIL BOXES Filed Feb.2l, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 where Patented May 29, 1923.

stata HER-MAN C. FEIST, OF ROWENA, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL-OPERATING DEVICE-LE`OR lAIL BXS.

Application filed February 21, 1922. Serial No. 538,295.

To all who/m it 'may concern.'

Be it-known that T, HERMAN C. Fnis'r, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rowena, in the county of Runnels and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticSignal-0perating Devices for Mail Boxes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to rural delivery mail boxes and has for its mainobject to provide automatic means for raising' a flag directly mail hasbeen deposited in the box, thereby signaling to the owner that mail isawaiting him, or to the mail carrier that he should empty the box.

The device is a time saver in that the person emptying the box has noadditional operation to perform for giving the signal beyond that ofopening and closing the door on the mail box. This has also theadvantage that the setting of the signaldoes not directly depend on hisactions,` butis performed by him unconsciously in opening and closingthe box and cannot for that reason be forgotten.

Another advantage' of the invention is that it constitutes an accessoryto a mail box so that it may be as easily inserted in an old box as in anew one.

The device is, moreover, so simple and consists of so few andsubstantial parts that it cannot get outof order from daily use.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated4 in the accompanyingdrawings,

Figure 1 represents a rural delivery mail box of the usual design andwith my improvement attached as shown in perspective view;

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the mail box on a larger scale; y

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an insert containing the detailsconstituting the invention;

-Figure 1 is another the details separated.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 10 represents a rural deliverymail box provided with a door 11 hinged to the fixed bottom 12 of thesame. Upon this door is secured an inwardly projecting` finger 13,preferably constructed of a thin metal plate with the high dimension inthe vertical direction and terminating with a dovetail portion 14. Thisprojecting finger 13 is so posiperspective view of tioned that itextends inwardly a short distance in the box 10 when thev door 11 isclosed. Y

The device constituting the invention -is constructed as an insert witha long narrow base 15 approximately of the same dimensions as the fixedbottom 12 of the box so that the base 15 may be positioned upon thebottom of the box and no part thereof extending outside of the latter.rlhis base 15 has preferably a flanged bar 16 riveted along one -Y sidethereof with an upright bearing piece 17 nearer the inner'than the outerend of the base. Tn this bearing piece 17, a spindle 18 is mounted torotate and on the spindle is rigidly secured an arm 19 adapted to Y Thisupright wall also forms a terminates with a la-t'dovetailed portion 27.f

This tail portion 27 is placed with its wider dimension in anapproximately horizontal lane.

Slightly raised' above the base 15 is shown a false bottom 28, which issecured on va transverse shaft 29 pivoted at` 30 in thebase 15 andprovided with washers 39 to prevent rubbing of the bottom 28 against thesides. This arrangement will permit of a slight oscillation of the falsebottom with the shaft f 29 with regard to the base. The position of theshaft 29 beneath the false bottom 28 has been selected so that the outerportion of the false bottom, near the door of the box, is approximatelytwice or three times the length of the inner portion of the falsebottom. At the inner edge of the false bottom 28 is secured a weight 31which is intended to give a siight preponderance at the inner end of the.false bottom so that, when free, the

inner end of the bottom 28 will rest upon the base 15 and as aconsequence the outer end 32 of the false bottom 28 will be raised abovethe base 15, as best seen .at 33 in Figure 1. The preponderance causedbythe weight 31 is not greater than will "be"overcome by theplacing of avery lighthobject at the outer end 32 of the false bottom's'o that, forinstance, if a postal card were deposited on this end, the false bottomwould be ftilted andthe outer `fend 32v would strike and rest upon thebase 15 and remain in this position as long as this object stayed on thefalse bottom.

Rigidly secured lon the shaft 29 or formuing "an integralvpart thereotisa lever 34, which extends in the idirection toward the door of the boxand is bent upwardly so that itsv forked `end 3.5 is able to embrace therod 21.6, and ,a pin 36 or .other suitable means is provided to closethe opening in the tonk to prevent the rod from jumping out during theoperation. 'h I `The :function of this lever 341 is now topositionthetail 27 ot' y.the'rod 26 s0 that 1the tail 4will =be in the.path'lof the dovetailed vportion ll of A,the finger 13, when the door11 is "being closed and when they yfalse bottom 2,8 is tilted, with itsouter end 32 resting upon the base l5. In other words, as lsoon as apiece iof mail is dropped in the ybox 4and ithedoor is closed, .thefinger 13 will engage .with the tail v,27 on the 'trod 26,which has Suchlength that the tail will stand about even with the perpendicular`outerend of i :the side 'wall'of the mail boxf Illhen the Idoor ,iscompletely'closed, thev finger 13 will ,push upon the ,tail 27 and drivethe rod 26 inward, whereupon the latter will swing the leverv23 as wellasithe spindle `1 8 'and the arm 19 carrying the flag 37 `secured on theouter LendftheIQQ- lIn this manner, the `flag 37 will ibe raised and theaotionofthe `rod 26 limited iby the striking of ,the .arm 19 .againstthe $03920. M

' :svubsequelntlythe door 11 isopened for the purposevof emptying themail box, Ethe fla .willimmediately tall when the pres- `sure o ,thefinger y13 against "the tail 27 is released upon the swinging`- ofthedoor.v Directly the mail has vbeen removedl from the u falsebottom28the' outery end 32 will be lifted gbythe ,weight 3l, .which hasl as'aconsequ'ence the Elifting ofthe vlever 34 andfthe'rod 26.

Should no `inail be deposited `in the y'box at thistime the outer lend32 of the false bot,- :tom ,28 will I,remain 'in its .upper position andconsequently .the .tail 27 willstand abovelthe ldinger 13 when the doorisilbeingclosed. As

no engagem.enttbetween,tlielingerl 13 and tail 2:27 .can "nowtakepll-Ce, the'arni 19 and the spindle-18 will remain inactive and theflag '-,in` Figure -1.

3T .will stayin its lowered "position, as seen vIt will be evident that1.this-device may `very easily beapplied to existing mail boxes `andthatallithat will be requiredis to secure ,the `finger 13 on .thedoorandthelstops 20, 21 o,nthe box and attach rthe flag 37 upon the /outerendofthespindle 18, andthat forthis ,purpose asmall holeis to bey drillediinthe side of the mailbox.

' lnnew v mail boxes, ointhe other ,hanththe .whereby said alsebo'ttoinin 'cooperation ture.

base 15 may be Vdispensed with 'altogether and the moving parts attacheddirectly in the box itself.

I reserve the right of making minor l changes in the construction withinthe scope ot' this specification and claims, as for instance leaving outlever `34l yand securing the fork 35 directly on the fase bottom 28 bymeans of any upwardly directed arm. In such acase it is evident that ayslot will have to be provided in theupright wall 22 for the arm to workup' l .nd down in, whenthe 'false bottom 28 oscillates.

a ,projection on said dooradapt'ed to engage with 'said Arod when lthedoor is' closed, a false vbottom injsaid box, ashatt upon'which ,thefalse bottom isfsecur'ed, a lever yrigidly connected withisaid shaft,said lever having sliding engagement with said rod, said false bottom,having a slight preponderance at the end `,a\vay' from said door,whereby said false" bottom yin co-operation 'with said lever is adaptedto lposition said rod inthe path ot' said projection upon the swingingof-said door, when saidbottoinis being'aotuated by lthe ydepositing lotya 'light' ,obj ect A there'i'ipon adjacent to the door.

The combination with a lmailbox yhaving swinging door; of a signalmember, a

spindlefvfor said signal member pivoted in the box and keyed to thesignal member, an arm rigidly attached to said spindle, and meanslinserted between said'door and said aLIn for 4operating the signalmember through the swinging "of said door, said means includinga rodpivotedon' said arm,

a projection on said door adapted't'o engage with said rod Vwhennthedoor 1s Close`d, a-

Vfalse bottom in saidbox, al shaftv upon vwhich the y false bottom(secured, *an* element rigidly Aconnected `with said'bottom, 'I'saidelement having sliding engagement with said rod,sa1d false bottomhavlnga slight preponderance at the end yawa'yf:from A,saidrol'oor5 vwith sa'id element isada-ptedto 'position said frod in the path 'ot.saidv 1` r `ijectionfupon -'the swinging` of saiddoor, whensaidbott'omvis being actuated bythe de'pos'itin'gof a light f i i HERMAN1 FE1/,Se als@

